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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0635.PDF
CONTRACT! • CMC Electronics will this month deliver its first CMA-900 global positioning and flight man agement system for integration with 20 Brazilian air force Boeing 707, Embraer EMB-111 (P-95), Learjet 35 and Lockheed Martin C-130 aircraft. To be com pleted by July 2005, the work will give the 707s and C-130s a preci sion area navigation capability. • AAR Cargo Systems and ShinMaywa Industries will deliver the cargo handling system for Japan's future Kawasaki C-X transport aircraft, including an integrated air-drop system with electronic cargo locks and a parachute extraction system. • Elbit Systems' EFW sub sidiary has received a contract worth potentially $45 million to develop new cockpit displays for up to 360 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet multirole fighters. • Cubic Defense Applications is to equip three US Air Force bases- Eglin, Langley and Seymour-Johnson - with range- less air-combat training systems under a $14.7 million contract. The deal includes 112 airborne instrumentation packages and 17 monitoring/debriefing ground sta tions. • Boeing is to accelerate the avionics modernisation on two US Air Force special opera tions Lockheed Martin MC-130 Combat Talon aircraft under a $58.8 million contract. The air craft will be delivered in 2008. • Northrop Grumman has been awarded contracts totalling $23.4 million to equip Alaska Air National Guard Lockheed Martin C-130 transports with the large aircraft infrared counter- measures system. • Arinc will provide a satellite telephone ser vice for US Air Force tankers and transports that will allow users to contact any aircraft by dialling a pre-assigned terrestrial number. The system automatically locates the aircraft and finds which Inmarsat satellite to use. • Raytheon is to modify its tacti cal control system for Northrop Grumman's RQ-8 Firescout verti cal take-off unmanned air vehicle under a $36.8 million US Navy contract. The work will allow simultaneous control of multiple platforms, the integration of plug- and-play payloads, and weaponis- ation of the unmanned helicopter. DEFENCE TRAINERS VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW Production Yak-130 flies after late parts delivery NPK Irkut - Yakovlev's new owner - is targeting $15 billion export market for trainer Yakovlev's first production Yak-130 trainer made its debut flight from Sokol's Nizhny Novgorod plant in central Russia on 28 April, bringing to an end a six-month delay caused by the late delivery of key compo nents. Powered by two ZMKB Progress AI-222-25 engines, the aircraft has a maximum take-off weight of 9,000kg (19,8501b). Moscow-based MMPP Salyut was selected by the Russian air force to supply the engines, and last February shipped its first examples to Sokol. The company will supply a further 13 engines this year to equip Yakovlev's initial production batch of four aircraft. The Yak-130 features a re-pro grammable digital flight control sys tem capable of emulating various aircraft types, including advanced strike platforms, an Elektroavtomatika integrated avion ics suite and a navigation and tar geting system enabling the use of precision-guided weapons weighing up to 3,000kg to be carried from eight pylons. An open avionic archi tecture and multiplex databus also allows for the possible integration of Raytheon's AIM-9 Sidewinder short- range air-to-air and AGM-65 Maverick air-to-surface missiles and other Western weapons. With research and development funding for the Yak-130 having so far exceeded $100 million, NPK Irkut, which last month completed its takeover of Yakovlev, is hopeful of securing an $8-15 billion market for the trainer through Russia's Rosoboronexport arms agency. Rosoboronexport says the Yak-130 could secure between 400-1,200 orders from a projected global jet trainer market for 2,500 aircraft over the next 15 years. The design is expected to have a production unit cost of $13 million. The Yak-130 project is being par tially funded by the Russian defence ministry, which in 2002 selected the design as the Russian air force's future combat trainer. The service hopes to procure 200 new trainers to replace its ageing Aero Vodochody L-39s. NPK Irkut hopes to secure up to 1,200 export orders for the Yak-130 trainer COMPETITION STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC Doubts over Iraq surveillance drive The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq has launched a rushed competition to buy between eight and 16 light surveillance aircraft, but at least one potential supplier doubts the schedule is feasible. All-new, two-seat aircraft with electro-optical/infrared sensors are needed urgently to provide surveil lance of Iraqi infrastructure, borders and coastlines. Safe cruising speeds of 60-80kt (110-150km/h) during 5h patrol missions are key. Acting on behalf of the CPA, the US Army's fixed-wing contracting office posted a request for proposals on 19 April and gave potential bid ders just three weeks to reply. Proposals are due for return on 11 May, with a contract award for eight aircraft and eight options expected soon. "The aerial surveillance plat form is a very urgent requirement and it is imperative we receive pro posals, conduct evaluations and award a contract as soon as possi ble," says an acquisition document. The first two aircraft must be handed over within 30 days of con tract award, with all eight due for delivery within six months. The order includes a full training pack age for pilots and aircraft manuals in both English and Iraqi Arabic. The pace of the CPA's acquisition plan has stunned Paul Schweizer, vice-president of Schweizer Aircraft, which is planning to submit a bid. Schweizer Aircraft makes the SA 2- 37B quiet reconnaissance aircraft, which has performance levels simi lar to the CPA's request. Schweizer told Flight Inter national that no company can deliver an all-new, sensor-equipped aircraft within 30 days of an order. The provision of Arabic-language training manuals under such a deadline also is a challenging request, he says. US Army officials declined to comment. Cessna Aircraft plans to compete, but declined to elaborate on its proposal. 20 11-17 MAY 2004 FLIGHT INT ERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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